A Change of Heart
by tinylittlefoxes
Summary: Ever wonder what caused Jackie's change of heart toward the Doctor in the beginning of the episode 'Army of Ghosts?


Just a little story. I've wanted to do something along these lines for a while since it occurred to me there are few stories where they go back into their own timelines. I'm also a sucker for Rose/Doctor happiness.

At the beginning of the Army of Ghosts…

The Doctor followed Rose into her mother's flat with a sack full of washing. He knew her mother didn't like her traveling around with him and he always tried to avoid going up to the flat because he hated dealing with her mum. Jackie was always at his throat for something or other. He tried sneaking passed the hugging women to the refuge of the living room when Jackie came toward him. He prepared himself for the inevitable slap across the face but instead was greeted with something entirely unexpected.

"Oh come here you big lug." And Jackie pulled him into an affectionate hug and kissed every inch of his very resistant face.

 _Hmmm. Wonder what caused her change of heart?_

-

Earlier that year…

Orange and red leaves swirled around the playground as the TARDIS materialized on the Powell estate. Jackie, who heard the noise of the engines made her way down to the park from her flat to greet her beloved daughter and that no good alien she traveled around with. She never could get used to the idea of Rose traveling with the Doctor. All those dangerous monsters and running for her life. She knew it happened a lot more than the two of them let on. _Don't worry Mum, I trust the Doctor._ she'd said. Well Jackie certainly didn't. She wanted the best for Rose and knew the Doctor wasn't it. _He didn't do domestic_. Jackie saw the way that Rose looked at him-she was falling in love. Jackie had had her share of broken hearts and knew Rose was going to end up with one.

She knocked on the door to the TARDIS, thinking to herself that she might have stood a chance in the estate's Halloween decorating contest if she'd asked Rose to bring some creepy alien home to place at her door tonight. There were children running about the playground wearing Halloween costumes. Jackie missed the days when Rose was small when she took her around trick or treating to the neighbors. They'd never had much money so Rose would have to make do with makeshift ghost or gypsy costumes-but she always looked sweet.

Since no one answered her knock, she turned to go back to her flat. It was then that she saw them on the outskirts of the playground. Rose was looking on at the playing children and didn't seem to notice the Doctor approaching until he draped a long scarf around her neck. Then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a kiss. If Jackie hadn't been so angry she would have fainted.

"Just what do you two think you're doing?" Jackie snarled.

"Mum!" Rose exclaimed joyfully! "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be handing out treats? You'll never make it back to the mansion in time to catch the first trick-or-treaters now."

"Don't you change the subject on me young lady! And _you_!" She pointed an accusing finger at the Doctor. "I should have known I couldn't trust you with my daughter! And right out in public too! What will the neighbors think!"

The Doctor replied coolly "Well I shouldn't care what they think. I'll kiss my wife wherever I want."

Jackie's heart stopped. She clutched dramatically at her chest. "Your wife! Oh no, Rose don't do this to me. You've run off and got married. And to him! Oh Rose! How could you do this to your poor mother."

"Mum. What are you taking about? We didn't _run off_. You were there. Doctor, scan her for manuluerion particles. She's acting weird."

The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and began to do battle with Jackie when they were interrupted by an excited six year-old girl dressed up like a princess. "Daddy! Daddy! You didn't tell us we Granmum was coming trick-er-treatin. We better find her a costume." The little girl's tiny hand grabbed Jackie's and dragged her toward the TARDIS. "C'mon Alex. Granmum's here."

A mischievous looking boy with unruly brown hair ran over from the monkey bars to consume Jackie in a hug. "Missed you granmum." He whispered into her hair.

"Kids… you have kids." Jackie replied. The color drained from her face and she fainted.

"Uh. I think we better get her into the TARDIS"

-

Jackie came to lying on a sofa in the TARDIS. Rose's face appeared before her. "Shh. It's okay. Just lie still a moment. You've been out for a long time. We were able to do some scans, you're fine. I'll get you a cup of tea."

Rose's face disappeared and when the blurred vision wore off Jackie looked around the room. The Doctor was lying sleepily on another sofa nearby. He lay on his back and had a small bundle laying on his chest. Upon closer inspection, Jackie saw that the tiny bundle was in fact a sleeping baby. The Doctor's hand stroked the sleeping child's back . The rise and fall of his chest rocked the baby into a deeper sleep with each breath the Doctor took.

"Oh my god." Jackie whispered unable to believe her eyes. "You have kids. I'm a grandmother. I have grandkids." And with that Jackie decided she had never been happier in her life. Her daughter was married to a Doctor. And despite the small fact that he was an alien, what more could a mother possibly want?

"Course we do Jacks," The Doctor replied quietly, careful not to wake the sleeping baby. "What, have you had the last eight years of your memory erased?"

"Eight years?! No! I just saw you a few months ago and there were certainly no kids then. And then you show up and spring this on me, all acting as if it's no big deal."

Rose rejoined them now, handing her mother a cup and saucer. "It appears that, thanks to the Doctor's _superior_ TARDIS piloting skills, we've surprised you with your grandchildren before they were even born. When I said wanted take the kids back to my old neighborhood to go trick-or-treating, I didn't mean back in time." She shot an annoyed glare at her husband.

"Well no harm done. Jackie gets to spend time with the kids. Next week is Alex's birthday. Be sure to pop round for cake." The Doctor replied.

"No Doctor. She can't come to Alex's birthday. Future Jackie is coming."

"Come on Rose. Doesn't 'part of the timeline now' mean anything after all these years? We have to stay and carry out the sequence of events. Life as we know it. We just have to keep visiting from this point on in Jackie's reference."

"No. We have to go. It's Halloween, 2006. In a couple of months, we'll be back. The old us. It'll be a paradox if we're both here at the same time. Everything that happens _needs_ to happen." She hushed her voice so Jackie wouldn't hear, "The ghosts, Cybermen, Canary Wharf. We can't change it…it all works out for the best eventually."

The Doctor looked into his wife's brown eyes and knew she was right. All those events, though it had torn them apart, would eventually bring them back together again. Any change in the past would alter their future and the future of their children. He couldn't risk that.

"Jackie. Listen to me." The Doctor sternly told his mother-in-law. "Me and Rose will be back here in a few months. We won't remember this and it's absolutely essential that you not tell us. We can not know anything about our own future - or else it might not happen. These beautiful, beautiful kids may never come into existence if you utter a word about this to either of us. Got it?"

Jackie swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded at her instructions.

"Good then. We'd better go right away then. The less she knows about her future the better."

"Can you put the baby to bed and check on the kids. I'm just gonna say goodbye to Mum." Rose said and the Doctor left the two alone.

"You gonna be okay? I know this is a shock, us showing up married with three kids and another on the way but…"

"How is that even possible!" Jackie exclaimed. "You're pregnant again! Oh and I won't even be there for you, to hold your hand in the delivery room."

Rose smiled at her mother. "Mum, don't you see. You _were_ there for everything. You will be. And you'll be excellent. I know you didn't like the Doctor very much, but don't worry, you eventually grow to love him. And he's an excellent father."

"So you…you're happy? I just want you to be happy."

"Oh mum, I'm very happy. Very, very happy. But…" Rose sobered as she remembered the day she was separated from the Doctor and trapped in the parallel world. She wanted to warn her mother but didn't want to reveal too much. "There's going to be hard times. Very hard times. But you'll be there for me. Just remember that everything that happens, happens for a reason, and it all works out in the end." Rose's mind flashed back to her mother saying that exact phrase as she comforted her crying on her bed one night. She smiled silently, now knowing where her mother's insight had come from. "Goodbye mum. I love you."

-

Jackie watched as the TARDIS dematerialized and she was left alone in the park. The Doctor and Rose had a family. _Would_ have a family, she corrected herself. She was overcome with happiness. Someday, somehow, that Doctor was going to give her daughter everything she ever wanted for her, everything she deserved. And Jackie was going to get _grandkids_.

Right now, she loved that man so much, she could just kiss him.


End file.
